Royal seal

He explained that companies can apply to the Royal household for a warrant under a system that goes back to 1155.

"We had to supply our beer to the palace for a continuous period of five years. The beer, apparently, has to be paid for by the Queen from her household expenses, though I wonder if the Duke of Edinburgh actually drank it," he said.

Mr Ealand believes Chiltern Valley is the first winery and microbrewery to obtain a royal warrant.

The award was made towards the end of last year and was all the more rewarding as the microbrewery was only established in 1990, almost ten years after he established the vineyard.

Originally, Mr Ealand was a maritime lawyer based in the City investigating collisions, fires and other disasters at sea. In 1980 he bought the 45-acre Luxters pig farm on a hilltop in the Chilterns overlooking the picturesque Hambleden valley, a few miles out of Henley, as a home for himself, wife Fiona and their three children.

"I knew nothing about pig farming. So I disposed of the pigs and after research I came up with the idea of a vineyard. The first vines were planted in 1982, and our first harvest was in 1984," said Mr Ealand, who continued his law career at the same time.

Like others venturing into vineyards, he discovered there was a difference between the perception of making wine and the reality.

Aspects to be considered included the soil type and if the vines would survive frost damage.

Fortunately, he did everything right, was able to pass on his newly-gained knowledge to others and ended up advising on the establishment of 23 other vineyards, all within an hour's drive of his home.

"Surprisingly, there are about 600 vineyards in England and I believe our wine can hold its own against the rest of the world. There is a lot of unfounded snobbery about English wine," he said.

However, as not every vineyard has a winery, Mr Ealand takes in grapes from several other vineyards and does the work of converting grapes into wine for them.

He added: "We have the ability to design and print labels so we can do the complete job for other vineyards."

The winery and brewery has the capacity to make up to 250,000 bottles of wine, beer and liqueurs a year.

Sadly, in 1990, Mr Ealand's wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour and died a year later.

He said: "Our lives were thrown into trauma. As a result I never went back to the law but stayed here to look after our three children.

"This was when I decided to add a microbrewery to give me something more to do and expand the business."

In addition to installing the brewery, he converted a 17th century barn into an art gallery and a venue for corporate events and weddings.

This proved popular and musical evenings were added, along with productions of operas under the general title of Sounds Lyrical. This ran for about ten years, enlisting singers from Covent Garden Opera House.

Like the winery, the brewery has been a success and produces own brands for several prestigious outlets, including an own brand ale exclusive to Fortnum and Mason.

Liqueurs have become a lucrative addition to the business, with clients including London gunsmiths Holland and Holland and field sports specialists Roxton, Bailey and Robinson of Hungerford, Berkshire.

Mr Ealand is often amused when visitors to his shop say they only want Roxton's liqueurs and he informs them they are produced at Luxters Farm.

Liqueurs are made from several fruits, including wild strawberries, peaches and plums.

Altogether the company makes 11 different wines and the same number of bottled beers, plus three cask ales and more than half a dozen liqueurs, while Mr Ealand also runs tours of the plant and tastings.

Now he has decided to retire and the business is up for sale as a going concern at £4.5m.

It will provide an opportunity for anyone looking to take on a flourishing business with that all-important royal seal of approval.